


A Spirit's Heart

by lunamoon303



Category: Original Work
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-11
Updated: 2016-06-14
Packaged: 2018-06-01 16:40:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6527896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunamoon303/pseuds/lunamoon303
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The sequel to The King's Hind</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prelude

In the forest all was silent. A thick blanket of gray fog hung low between the tree trunks, muffling the rain that fell lazily to the carpet of rotting autumn leaves on the forest floor. Nothing stirred, except the murmuring wind, rustling branches and underbrush as it wove its way through the slumbering wood. A creature loped through the inclement weather, head low and body shivering from the not quite biting cold.  It was evenings like this that brought to mind memories that she’d rather keep buried, like the night she lost her eye and almost her life. Viridi Silva, guardian spirit of these woods, former Seelie court member, Kingslayer and the last of her kin.

Viridi remembered the events that lead up to the loss of her jewel colored eye clearly, how could she not? Her home ravaged, her sisters either massacred or sold into slavery, just like she was. Forced into the service of the former Unseelie King, Kral, the foul creature that stole decades from her life and plucked out her eye in a fit of jealous rage before Viridi managed to escape to the World of Mortals. In the present the great Kingslayer shook the water from her short coat of fur that covered her deerlike quadrupedal form, as if she could dislodge her past just as easily. She could not, and with each low growl of thunder overhead, she bristled, as if the Wild Hunt were on her heels again. 

With a sigh as gentle as the wind that tugged lightly at her ears, Viridi thought instead of the good things rainy nights like these had brought her in the past; she thought about the night she found a child.


	2. A Child in the Rain

It happened during a violent summer storm, years ago, rain cascaded down from gunmetal gray clouds, rendering the forest floor a slick mess of black mud and broken tree branches. Lightning split the sky like cracks in glass, momentarily washing the drenched forest in blindingly white light. As the guardian of her forest Viridi took it upon herself to patrol the area during the gail, looking for any creatures that were in need of shelter from the elements, or any trees threatening to topple before their time. Grimy and shivering she wandered almost blindly through her territory, intent on her task. 

Several great tree’s had met their end that night in the storm, lying broken and awkward among the leaf litter; a farm dog ran loose in the wood, too small to do any sort of real damage, though Viridi kept her distance, lest its master come looking for it. She wandered along the southern edge of the forest, nearest the wide asphalt highway that curled away from her home, keeping well out of range of the unnaturally yellow beams of the headlights that cut through the sodden darkness. Clouds roiled ceaselessly overhead, as if the ocean and the sky changed places, thunder crashed louder than any waves. The clamor startled something small, making it scuttle through the wind whipped undergrowth, lost, shivering and drenched to the bone. 

The tiny child wobbled on uncertain legs towards the edge of the wood, and therefore towards Viridi. Face red from cold and crying, hair and filthy clothes stuck to their fragile skin, the young human child wandered from the brush towards the forest spirit, hiccuping exhaustedly. Viridi stared, fur along her spine lifting as she watched the human toddle towards her, unable to move. Green eye flicking here and there about the area, searching for any sign or semblance of the child’s parents in the stormy darkness, she found none. The spirit stiffened as she felt small arms wrap weakly around one of her front limbs, holding tightly as their little owner shivered in the cold.

“You poor pathetic thing…” Viridi whispered as she knelt down on the mucky grass, the child whimpered softly and clung to the other as best they could. For all her magic and bitterness, not even the great ‘Kingslayer’ could leave a mortal child in such a condition, though she new of many fae, both Seelie and Un that would gladly stand idly by and watch the thing parish. With a few careful nudges, she guided the child back into the wood, flattening her ears against it’s whimpering cries, “There’s no need for that now.” The spirit cooed gently, leading the wobbly child down one of the dryer paths, helping them pick over stones and branches in the dark. The storm took it’s time waning, slowly becoming less of a downpour and more of a miserable soaking spray that umbrellas and overhanging branches couldn’t do much for, the wind ceased its plaintive cry and fell to a soft groan through the naked branches above. 

The child stumbled less, but continued to stay close to Viridi as the forest spirit guided them somewhere safe and dry, shivering and whimpering all the while. Fat gray clouds scudded forlornly across the near full moon as the pair soon arrived at the spirit’s abode. Viridi lived in a faery tree at the center of her forest surrounded by a clearing carpeted in soft moss. A gaunt figure leaned against the tree’s broad trunk, the lantern by his feet guttered silently in the soft wind. He wore the expression of a father that had missed one too many appointments due to his children’s naughty behavior, if one were to substitute several impish children for one forest spirit that didn’t seem to know her limits. Exhaustion pulled at the corners of his mouth, dragging them into a disapproving frown as he bent to pick up his lantern. The dim light caught his spider-like features, illuminating his multitude of coral colored eyes, lack of a nose, three pairs of thin arms, and dark gray skin rendered shiny and glistening from the ever present rain. His name was Heinrich.

His largest pair of eyes narrowed as their gaze fell upon the human child that desperately attempted to shelter themselves behind Viridi’s slender legs. Heinrich’s lip curled over silver spider fangs in sudden disgust,

“What, is  _ that _ ?” He sneered, gesturing at the trembling child, Viridi’s ears flattened as she fixed the other with a one eyed emerald glare,

“A lost child I found wandering around in the rain,” She stated matter of factly, with an annoyed flick of her long tail,” Now step aside, the both of us are cold, wet and in need of rest and a hot meal.” Though it seemed an impossible feat, Heinrich’s frown grew as he stepped away from the heavy door in the faery tree’s trunk he’d been blocking poorly with his scrawny frame. The forest spirit led her tiny guest inside without another word, ignoring the stare of disapproval that followed her bitterly into the warmth of indoors. Heinrich followed after, snuffing his lantern with a long suffering sigh,

“Micha will not be happy about this...” He shook his head slowly and ran his claws through his damp hair, watching the child wander curiously around the front room. Viridi huffed and shook herself, her beast form melting away like snow in spring, opening her mouth to speak, only to be cut off by a smooth and insectile voice from a shadowy corner of the room,

“I will not be happy about what, dear cousin?”


	3. We are NOT Keeping it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viridi's mate is less than pleased that she brought a child home

Four pairs of dark eyes narrowed at the odd group from underneath a waterfall of darker hair, Micha snapped her elegant fingers and a blue-green fairy fire roared to life in the nearby hearth, fully illuminating her paper-white skin in its eery glow. The child recoiled at the sudden burst of light, hiding behind Viridi’s legs with whimpers of terror upon their quivering lips, Micha growled low at the sight, thin, gray lips curling over her black fangs in a snarl. Heinrich trembled, the fine hairs at the base of his neck lifting, the words ‘I told you so’ cycling through his mind at a rapid pace. Micha towered above him, an imposing six foot eight to his five foot six, translucent droplets of potent venom dripped from the tips of her fangs while his chattered in fear.

“A  _ human _ ? You brought a human  _ here _ ?” Micha screeched, her voice turning shrill and grating in her moment of outrage. The spider woman hissed, eyes locked on the child with deadly intent.She moved with the long, powerful stride of a queen, gone were the nervous, fidgeting days before she met Viridi. She swept up to the unlucky trio with fangs bared and eyes flaming, the fabric of her long skirts flicking out behind her like the tail on an agitated cat. Viridi barred her beloved’s path with her outstretched arms and a glare of her own to match the spider’s,

“Calm yourself Micha, this child is here by my will, they are my guest and you will treat them with respect.” Micha’s emotions flickered and rolled across her face like the blur one sees outside a moving car window, before settling into a flat, displeased, but otherwise unreadable mask. Her middle set of arms crossed, the bottom set fidgeted and the top set reached hesitantly for her mate’s face,

“Viri, my love…” She cooed sweetly in a saccharine mockery of her actual voice, attempting to cup Viridi’s face, only to have her pull away with flattened ears. The spider woman’s lip twitched and something akin to hurt flashed briefly in the depths of her seemingly bottomless eyes. Her lover’s expression did not change, and Micha knew that there was no way, come hell nor high water, that she was going to get her way in this situation. The forest spirit scooped up the tiny human child and whisked them away, leaving Micha where she stood. Heinrich hadn’t moved, slack jawed and amazed his eyes flickered between his cousin and the direction her mate and the child had gone. He tried to speak but only a soft, bewildered rasp made its way past his lips. The sound made Micha twitch and she suddenly shoved past him, wrenching the front door open and racing out into the misty night, slamming the door behind her.

Heinrich stared at the door for a little while, thoroughly confused, before hesitantly following the path Viri and the child had taken. Viridi’s tree home was an unusual place, bigger than it looked from the inside, with the ground floor serving as a mix of a living room, kitchen and dining room. Wide-mouthed tunnels leading underground opened into the homey space, while a curving staircase, grown from the tree itself, led to Viridi’s bedchamber. With tentative steps, Heinrich mounted the steps, trying to swallow the cold and jittery feeling that had settled deep in his gut. Poking his head carefully into his employer’s room, he cleared his throat to announce his sudden presence, Viri’s antlered head turned to face him, single eye glittering eerily in the dimness of her room,

“Something you need?” Her question was echoed by the child’s drowsy babble from where it sat in Viri’s lap, head lolling as it fought sleep. Something warm and heavy settled in Heinrich’s chest when he laid all eight of his eyes on the filthy toddler,

“Yes Miss, I was going to mention that if you intend on keeping the child here that you would do well to at least bathe it or feed it or something.” The spider said, not moving from his place at the top of the stairs. He eyed the child as best he could, taking in it’s mud caked and scratched features, just how long had it been in that storm? The forest spirit’s eyebrow lifted at her servant’s words, her lips curling faintly in amusement,

“Oh really?” She cooed, beckoning him closer with a flick of her tail,”A few moments ago you were just as, if not more disgusted and against the child’s being here as Micha was, why the sudden change of heart?” Heinrich removed his shoes before delicately picking across the moss and leaf lined nest that Viridi slept in. The child stared at him blearily, tiny arms reaching out in askance, making the warm and heavy feeling in his chest deepen. Viri shifted her hold on the small child, it whined in displeasure, clinging to her fur as it fought to fall asleep. The spirit sighed, ears flicking with some unknown emotion as she watched the little mortal’s eyes finally shut, its heavy head resting again Viri’s belly. 

Outside, in the damp night, Micha raged. Screeching and screaming like a thing possessed, she sent any poor creatures about in the gloomy night bolting for their burrows. No one dared stop her, or say anything, they simply plugged their ears and tried to ignore her, she’d burn herself out soon enough. The spider woman took her sweet time calming down, something bitter and vile coiled its way around her throat and refused to leave, no matter what she did to try and shake the feeling. 

She wandered home at her leisure, hoping her mate had come to her senses and that child was gone. Her hopes were dashed the moment she set foot in the door, Heinrich had the disgusting little thing sitting in a bowl of warm water, bathing it with one of  _ her _  washcloth and  _ her _ soap. She opened her mouth to screech anew, but suddenly stopped, choking the noise before it left her, and replacing it with a weary sigh. Micha swayed with exhaustion as she mounted the curving stairs up to Viri’s room, her eyelids heavy as the welcome darkness beckoned her into its comforting bosom,

“Tonight has been, a night.” She muttered emotionlessly as she collapsed against her mate’s side with a soft thump. Viridi’s tail swished in response, but the spirit herself said nothing, simply wrapping her arms around her beloved and stroking her damp hair. Micha whimpered, face buried in the curve of her mate’s neck, trying to find the strength to forgive her, or at least not kill her. Sleep claimed her before that happened, dragging her into a pool of murky dreams by her elegant throat without warning, and for that she was utterly grateful.


End file.
